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There Are No Real Health Benefits Of Red Wine Study ShowsMay 13, 2014

Having a glass of wine a day has been for many years viewed as something that was good for your health, but new reports show that there may be no real benefits of red wine. Resveratrol, a compound found in wine and chocolate, appears to not be linked to a decrease in cardiovascular disease, cancer, or longevity, researchers have discovered.

Benefits of Red Wine

John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, held a study which was directed by lead author, Dr. Richard Semba, who stated, “This is contradictory to all the hype that we typically hear from the popular arena.”

The reason people have been speculating on the health benefits of red wine is because past research studies showed that resveratrol (this compound is also found in certain fruits and vegetables) does in fact have properties that may assist in benefiting people’s health, but there was a lack of evidence of the true outcome this compound had on a large population. Research on resveratrol hit a roadblock when leading researchers were accused of fabricating data in 2012.

As a result of the poor study of the benefits of red wine, a new research team and study was conducted. Semba and his team used data that started in 1998 of 783 Italians that were 65 years or older. These men and women were examined to study the level of resveratrol that were consumed. Over one-third of them died over the next 9 years. An estimated 5% had cancer and 27% developed heart disease during the study. What was discovered? There was no difference in the rates of death, cancer, or heart disease between those who ingested resveratrol or not.

Living A Healthy Lifestyle

The good news is that for those alcoholics that believe red wine is needed in their diet to live long, can let that idea go. Alcohol actually affects the body in many ways from creating depression, dehydration, while having lack of any real nutritional value, and added unnecessary calories, so the best health suggestion would be to eliminate alcohol from your diet entirely.

Although there are ways to help prevent certain health aliments, there seems to be no quick fix. The best thing you can do for your body is to exercise, eat healthy, drink lots of water, relax, and get plenty of sleep. In addition, getting your annual physical and mental health checkups is an excellent way to help your body and mind live a long and healthy life.